Staying at the forefront of the dental industry means following the latest breakthroughs and study results to determine what’s the best type of dental care to provide our patients. Occasionally breakthroughs in dental care mean reexamining current practices and considering whether a change is in order.

For years, antibiotics have been prescribed to patients following dental implant procedures to reduce the risk of implant failure and infection. However, recent research has caused a growing concern that the overprescription of antibiotics is causing bacterial resistance, which could eventually lead to a public health crisis. In an effort to find ways of reducing the frequency of prescribed antibiotics, researchers at the University of North Carolina conducted a study to determine whether antibiotics is really needed after implant surgery.

A New View of Implants

Running a randomized control trial, researchers examined the effects of antibiotics on the clinical results of implant placement surgery. In each subject examined as part of the study, a damaged tooth was replaced with a solitary implant held into position with custom crown.

Researchers then measured the amount of pain and discomfort patients experience at different intervals following the placement of the implant during follow-up visits. Researchers also examined any changes to the bone and soft tissue following the surgery using CBCT scans. The study found a 100 percent survival rate for implant cases where patients were prescribed antibiotics following the procedure and a 78 percent survival rate in cases where antibiotics we not prescribed.

However, despite the variance in success rates, researchers found no statistically significant difference between implant success rates following the use of antibiotics when compared to cases without antibiotics. Researchers found no change in bone and soft tissue health in patients who received antibiotics when compared to those who did not. The fact that bone and tissue health remained unchanged led researchers to conclude that antibiotics have little effect on implant treatment outcomes.

Advances In Dental Care

While the results of this study have the potential to change common dental practices regarding the prescription of antibiotics, more research is needed before your cosmetic dentist in Vancouver, Dr. Reza Saffari, will begin changing how he treats patients at Vancouver Dental Designs. As always, we pledge to continue to review all news regarding the latest dental breakthroughs so we can provide our patients with the best, most advanced dental are possible.